In many research and commercial applications, there exists the need to provide joints between cryogenic vacuum conductive elements such as pipes and the like. Such a need is apparent in the construction and operation of, for example, particle accelerators and other superconductive experimental arrangements and apparatus. Such seals are conventionally attained through the use of a gasket or seal between flanges located on each of the vacuum conductive members. Many such fluid conductors are generally rectangular in shape for a variety of reasons that are not important to the invention described herein. Conventional overall rectangular gaskets or seals used to seal joints in such applications generally have a rectangular or hexagonal cross-section. Such seals have proven relatively unreliable due to the propensity of the straight portions of such generally rectangular seals to rotate as the dissimilar materials of the seals and the cryogenic conduits contract under cryogenic conditions. This problem is not so prevalent when the cryogenic conduits being joined are round since forces exerted upon the seal are generally more balanced than in the case where the conduits have a more rectangular overall shape.
One solution proposed for this problem has been to constrain the seals by incorporating tight tolerances and restraining features in the seal and flange design of the joint or fitting. Such a solution is relatively high cost and removal of the seals after use is often very difficult.